Newcastle Upon Tyne Ritz Bingo – Forest Hall Road

Ritz Bingo was originally the Ritz Cinema, a smallish venue, equipped with a stage, which opened in 1936. Like many cinemas, it closed in the early sixties (1962), and was converted into a bingo club, which is still independently run today. The club has parking, food, two Bars, live entertainment, karaoke, slots, and a members Christmas Party in December every year. They also have in-house jackpots, special games on selected days, and much more.

Opening Times:

The club opening hours are as follows. Please note these were correct at the time of publication, but are liable to change so please check with the club before you leave:

• Monday: 11.00am – 11.00pm
• Tuesday: 5.00pm – 11.00pm
• Wednesday: 11.00am – 11.00pm
• Thursday: 5.00pm – 11.00pm
• Friday: 5.00pm – 11.00pm
• Saturday: 11.00am – 1.00am
• Sunday: 5.00pmm – 10.45pm

Main Session Times

Listed below are the club’s main session times but are liable to change – confirm with the club first.

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Other Clubs In The Area

• Newcastle Buzz Bingo (Formerly Gala Bingo) – Clifford Street
• Newcastle Upon Tyne Hay Bingo – Heaton Road

Michael Hess: Ritz Bingo, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Taken as a part of the Playing Bingo commission of Michael Hess to shoot a follow-up to his book, Bingo and Social Club. Find out more about the project here.

Ritz Bingo is situated in the old Ritz Cinema which opened in 1936. The decor is quite plain compared to some old style bingo halls, the era of grand embellishments was on its wane at the time the cinema opened. The stylings of the club add a touch of thirties’ style, augmented by the photograph of Humphrey Bogart on the wall. This is exactly the sort of hall that appeals to fans of cinema and bingo together, and with a selection of great character shots shows the club’s members enjoying their game.

Photographs copyright Michael Hess April 2013. They cannot be reproduced without the permission of PlayingBingo.co.uk.

More Photos

The photos below have been kindly supplied by the owners of Ritz Bingo. The club is one of the few remaining independents, many having fallen victim to the the problems that have decimated the land based bingo industry over the past thirt years. However, any club that has done well enough to survive until now will hopefully have a brighter future owing to the 2015 bingo taxation reduction.

As you can see from the photographs the club resides in what used to be a theatre, and aside from a few alterations for bingo the venue still looks in very good condition with many of the originals features still evident. A particularly nice touch by the owners is the palm plant in the lounge which adds to that ‘turn of the century feel’ that the club has. Although we love bingo in any venue, it’s even better to play the game in a building that also has it’s own history.

There’s also a gallery in our Creative Corner, shot by Michael Hess as a part of the Playing Bingo commission – you can see it here.